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Certificate of Postgraduate Training in Clinical Psychiatry
Gain expertise in the foundational concepts of psychiatry, under clinical supervision by experienced psychiatrists.
On successful completion of the Certificate, within your primary area of practice you will be able to:
- conduct a psychiatric interview
- perform and report a comprehensive mental state examination
- apply principles of prevention and early intervention to reduce the impact of mental illness on your patients
- develop formulation and differential diagnosis according to ICD or DSM
- incorporate principles of trauma informed care, recovery and self determination to facilitate person-centred care and supported decision making
- demonstrate skills in psychological, sociocultural and pharmacological interventions to assist patients with their recovery
- assess and manage psychiatric emergencies, with due regard for safety and risk.
Who should apply
This Certificate is open to:
- general practitioners
- rural generalists
- emergency medicine physicians
- other medical practitioners who assess and support the mental health of their patients.
The Certificate is not a pathway into specialist psychiatry training.
Duration
Minimum of 12 months, with the option to self-pace activities over 48 months.
Mode
Online
Intake
There are two intakes annually, in March and September.
Applications are open for the March 2025 intake.
Fees
$12,500 covers 24 months of enrolment
$6,250 extension of additional 24 months
There is a $250 application fee.
How to apply
Program structure
The Certificate is comprised of four core areas, with an elective that can be related to your interests.
Core areas
Core learning focuses on the development of generalisable knowledge and skills which can be applied to various patient presentations.
- Assessment of new mental health presentations.
- Assessment and management of risk.
- Psychosocial interventions.
- Pharmacotherapy.
Elective
Assessment and care plans for patients within a special interest area.
Assessments and learning tasks
During the Certificate, you will complete:
- a structured feedback exercise in each three-month term
- ten online modules
- five patient consultation observations
- a practice logbook with at least 40 unique entries
- eight reflection activities
- 12 hours of Peer Group Discussion Meetings
- a narrative review of 2000 words
- oral presentation.
Supervision
You will be supported in your learning by a Certificate supervisor.
You may nominate a psychiatrist who works with you to become an accredited Certificate supervisor or request that a supervisor is allocated to you.
If you are a RANZCP Fellow interested in being involved in becoming an accredited Certificate Supervisor, Reviewer or Facilitator please read the requirements guideline and complete the application form.
Employment status
During the Certificate you must maintain employment as a medical practitioner and during this time, consult with patients who require assessment and/or support for their mental health.
The RANZCP has received funding under the Psychiatry Workforce Program (PWP) to develop a Certificate of Postgraduate Training in Clinical Psychiatry (the Certificate).
The PWP is an Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care initiative that has been introduced to address mental health workforce maldistribution and shortages. The Program aims to improve access to high quality mental health care for all Australians.
The Certificate is vocational training for graduate medical practitioners and is not a higher education award in accordance with the Australian Qualifications Framework.
Please note this information is subject to change based on ongoing consultation and in accordance with RANZCP governance review and procedures.
